HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6144        FILED ON: 5/17/2026

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5448

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Patricia A. Duffy

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
 Court assembled:

 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act modernizing financial departments in the city of Holyoke.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6144        FILED ON: 5/17/2026

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5448

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act modernizing financial departments in the city of Holyoke.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

 SECTION 1: Section 15 of the City of Holyoke Charter shall be amended by deleting the paragraph following the heading in total and replacing it with the following:

 (a) Said city council shall annually in the month of January elect by ballot an administrative assistant to the city council, who shall hold their office for the term of two years beginning with the first Monday in February in the year of their election and until their successor is elected and qualified, unless sooner removed.

 (b) Said city council shall also in the month of January, and in the month of January in every third year thereafter, appoint a Director of Internal Audit, who shall hold their office for the term of three years beginning with the first Monday in February in the year of their election and until their successor is elected and qualified, unless sooner removed.

 (c) Said city council shall also annually in the month of January elect by ballot one assessor of taxes and one water commissioner, each of whom shall hold their office for the term of three years beginning with the first Monday in February in the year of their election and until their successor is elected and qualified unless sooner removed.

 (d) Any of said officers may be removed at any time by the city council for sufficient cause. The present assessors of taxes and the water commissioners shall continue to hold their respective offices, unless sooner removed, for the term of three years from the first Monday in February in the year following their election. Vacancies in city offices, where no other provision is made for filling the same, shall be filled by the election or appointment of a successor in the same manner as the previous incumbent was elected or appointed, and the person elected or appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold their office for the remainder of the term during which their predecessor would have been entitled to hold the same.

 SECTION 2: So much of Chapter 438 of the Acts of 1896 and Chapter 327 of the Acts of 1936 and acts in amendment thereof and addition thereto, as is inconsistent with this act, is hereby repealed.

 SECTION 3: The General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the Mayor and City Council approve amendments before enactment by the General Court. The Mayor and City Council are hereby authorized to approve amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of this petition.

 SECTION 4: This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.